WordGarden.iohoneysuckle
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /hˈʌnɪsˌʌkəl/
US
- /ˈhəniˌsəkəl/
Meanings
Noun
a climbing shrub or vine with sweet-smelling tubular flowers
Beyond the definition
This is a climbing plant known for its very sweet smell, especially on warm summer evenings. Its flowers are often tubular and full of nectar, which is why the plant got its name. You may see it growing over fences, up trellises, or along the edges of woods, filling the air with a soft, floral scent.
It is loved as a garden plant, but it also grows wild in many places. Some kinds have berries, but many of those berries are not safe to eat. In poems and stories, it often suggests sweetness, love, and peaceful summer beauty.
Honeysuckle is the name for a group of flowering plants, mostly climbing vines and some shrubs, that are known for their sweet-smelling flowers and rich nectar. The name comes from an old idea of "sucking honey" from the base of the flower, because children once tasted the nectar there. These plants grow in many parts of the world, and their flowers can be white, yellow, pink, red, or orange.
You will often find honeysuckle along fences, in hedges, at the edge of woods, or trained over garden supports such as trellises and arbors. On a warm evening, the smell can spread through a whole garden. Many people grow it for that scent alone. Some kinds also produce berries. A few relatives have edible fruit, but many common kinds do not, so the berries should not be eaten unless the plant has been clearly identified.
The word is also used in a more poetic way. In stories, poems, and folklore, honeysuckle often suggests love, devotion, sweetness, and the gentle feeling of summer. It is not only a plant people notice with their eyes, but one they remember by smell, which is why it often carries such a warm and dreamy feeling in English.
Examples
- 1
Gardening
She planted honeysuckle along the back fence last spring.
- 2
Scent
On warm evenings, the whole yard smelled of honeysuckle.
- 3
Wild growth
A wild honeysuckle had climbed up the porch and around the kitchen window.
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- honeysucklenoun
Forms
- honeysucklespluralnoun